Looking for Extra Work? Local Holiday Job Market Should Be Strong

Unlike some years, when part-time holiday jobs have been a bit scarce, this year should be promising.

According to a report released Monday by the Washington State Employment Security Department, retailers are expected to hire a little over 2,000 MORE seasonal holiday workers in 2016 than last year.

In 2015, officials said about 10,500 temporary holiday workers were employed through the season, from October through December into January. This year, that total should exceed 12,700.

According to the Employment Security Department:

"The department’s labor economists say the bulk of the seasonal hiring will be in general merchandise stores, adding 7,480 jobs, up 1,062 positions from the same period last year. Clothing and clothing accessory stores expect to hire 3,329 holiday workers, also up 804 workers from 2015. Nationally, workplace consultant firm Challenger, Gray, and Christmas, Inc. expects seasonal gains in the retail sector to be about the same as a year ago, with some 738,800 temporary hires projected from October through December."

Locally, for Benton and Franklin County, local seasonal hired should jump from around 420 to over 467, one of the highest totals in Southeastern Washington, and over 100 more jobs than in Yakima.